What to do when it's over?

Sunset on Gili Air as I upload this post

I’ve been traveling for about 8 weeks now and have a week and a half before I leave SE Asia for the Stans. If I’m doing the math right I’m about 1/3 of the way through my sabbatical. In the week I spent in the extremely chilled out countryside of Laos and in downtime between sets attempting to catch waves on Lombok I’ve had some time to myself to think about what it is I want to do when I hit the self imposed six month end date of my sabbatical. I don’t have an answer to this question and don’t necessarily expect that I will when I emerge from the end of the John Muir Trail in late September but I also know that if I don’t spend some time pondering this question now this time will come to an end and I’ll be no closer to deciding what I want to do next than I was when I set off.

I’ve identified a few different paths I can try to follow when October rolls around. Each one has its own appeal for one reason or another but at this point no option appears as a clear winner. Because of this I am not inclined to talk too much more about what these paths are yet. Part of me believes I may just have to see how it feels to be home in the United States when August rolls around.

Still, I would also like to spend some more time thinking about the future. Beneath this big question of “what to do next” are layers of other questions I am pondering:

I am enjoying traveling right now but how long before I start to feel that I should be using my talents in a way that is helpful for the world as opposed to pursuing my own gratification?

Is using my talents in a way that is helpful for the world as essential to my happiness as I have told myself it is?

What is the organization and who are the people I want to attach my nameplate to next and how do I find them?

Can I feed my desire for adventure adequately from the place that I have lived for most of my life?

Do I want to try out life as an independent consultant in an effort to have more flexibility? How much do I want to try to to follow that ambitious life goal of mine or would I rather pursue a more laid back future for myself?

Should I be prioritizing the search for a partner so that I can have kids before I get to the point that I become a geriatric parent?

I know that many of my friends and family members have pondered similar questions. At this point in my trip I am wondering what you found particularly helpful to answer your own juicy questions.

Do you have suggestions for exercises or practices I could incorporate into my daily routine for the next few months?

Do you have any books that were particularly insightful?

Do you have any other advice for me or thoughts about what I could next?

Perhaps your thoughts will spark something inside of me I hadn’t thought of before. Or not, that's OK too. Feel free to leave a comment below, email me at lyonbm at gmail dot com, find me on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, or depending on where in the world I am, you may even be able to text me!

The Mekong River in Laos from the boat where I did some thinking